San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-10
THE K. OIL. DIFFICULTY.

Labor organization is certainly critical,
ali reports to the contrary notwithstand-
Ing. IL Is the old question OF the utter
impossibiiity Of two walking together
without agreement. The skilled labor
represented In the trades assemblies AID
unions does not lake kindly 10 the at
tempt TO force them into the ranks OF the
knights of Labor. This Is the Key to
the whole situation. There IL not now
and never has been any very serions diff
ticul,y in securing the co operation OF
the members OF the "uniUns," the trades
assemblies, in an effort for mutual pro-
lection, assistance and the carrying out
OF projected enterprises. A combination
among these for an increase OF wages,
the removal OF real grievances and the
pItIing Of their whole work into bet
( r condition. was not difficult task.
B Il the effort OF the trades assemblies
was only spasmodic and sectional. There
W Is no provision made for the co-opera-
ton OF members of all assemblies, In
carrying out the measures adopted by
one. Not on!y so; the unorganized la
Dor of the country was constant
menace to the success ofall attempts by
the trades assemblies to secure their
ends in any conflicts with their employ
ers. For, while the work Of skilled labor
could not be wholly committed to IN
skilled hands, the multiplication OF labor
saving machinery every year rendered
the employers Of skilled labor more and
more independent Of such labor, the ma
ceinery doingits work "a perfectly as the
most Intelligent hand and eve and brain
possibly could. 70 remove this I'M
skilled labor from competition with
skilled labor 10 strikes and other
emergencies, and at the same time
educate that unskilled labor into a
knowledge Of iis own rights, needs and
possible powers of resistance to obnox-
ious labor conditions, was one OF the
principal objects Of the Knights OF La
Dor, after 1t was fairly organized and
the necessity Of controlling this I'M
skilled labor was fairly understood Side
by side with the development OF the
Knights of Labor has come the greater
union, the m"re perfect organization of
the trades assemblies themselves, secur-
ing In the unions the cooperation not
only of the assemblies Of any particular
trade, but also the assemblies of all ssso-
ciated trades. BY this more perfect Or
ganization all the members OF the entire
body Of trades represented In building
operations can be brought into hearty
cooperation TO resist the attempt to re-
duce wages or the employment of scabs.
10 any department OF building bust
ness. Carpenters, stOne-masOns and cut
tiers, fathers, plaSterers, painters, roof
ers, all make common cause against
what is considered the common enemy.
Under this condition the unions did not
take kindly TO the attempt TO render
them parts Of the great knights OF La
Dor machiner, and a secondary part ut
that. The Home club, the real he
inter- OF the opposition to Mr.. Po"derly.
represents the trades union sentiment.
FMS sentiment lie open and pro
nuuuCed in Its opposition TO The all IL
clusiv, n, s. of the Knights Of Labor. The
members of the ira es unions VINO are
also members Of the Knights of Labor
resist the attempt 10 make the unskiIled
labor OF the Knights of Labor bodies
stand on an equality with the skilled
POwderly and his policy is in favor OF
compelling the acceptance of the Knights
OF Labor cards by trades unions. This
attempt the unions resist and
this is the fight. There are thOus-
ands of laborers in the Knights
of LsDor organizations, claiming to
be skilled workmen, who have either
been refused admiTtance TO the unions
lack of mechanical skill, or have been
expelled for cause. The attempt is
made TO compel the trades assemblies to
receive the cards of these men inter-
changesbly with the cards of their own
members, and this the unions resent.
This was the whole cause of the diff.
Guilty between the International Cigar
makers union, representing its trades
assemblies wOrkmen, and the Progress
sive Cigar-makers union representing
the X. of l.. cigar-makers. 1t is not, rs
Ia too often asserted, a fight between
ment of the X. Of l.. and the conserva-